Portable type tufting machine



Dec. 19, 1950 E. KING 2,534,916

PORTABLE TYPE TUFTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 1 5, 1949 QM wml] An INVENTOR.

E DWA R D K l N G.

ATTURNE'Y Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE PORTABLE TYPE TUFTIN G MACHINE Edward King, Dalton, Ga.

Application January 13, 1949;, Serial No. 70,6715

(Cl. 1l2-80) 4 Claims.. 1.

invention relates` to improvements. in tuftmachines of the portable-type.

An important object of the invention is to provide a1 machine of the. above mentioned type for use in. making intricate tufted designs upon cloth or' fabric, generally referred to as punch Work.

A further object of the invention is to provide a. machine. of the above mentioned type having novel. means to vary the length of stroke of the needle to produce tufts of varying lengths.

Afurther'object is to provide. a tufting. machine which is simplied, compact and sturdy, and designed so that the working parts maybe conveniently assembled, disassembled and inter'- changed.

Other objects and' advantages of the invention will be apparent. during, the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of. this application and in which like numerals are employed toV designate like; parts throughout thesame,

Figure 1 is Ea side elevation of a machine embodyingv my invention, having a cover plate removed,

Figure 2 is a central. vertical longitudinal section taken on line 2--2 of Figurev 1, parts in ele- Vation,

Figure 3 is a. central vertical section taken. on line 3 3 of Figure 2; parts broken away, the needle being shown. raised,

Figure 4 isV an. enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 4`4 of Figure 1, parts omitted', and;

Figure 5 is a side elevational viewy of additional eccentric elements.

Inthe-drawings, where for the. purpose of illustration is shownl a preferred embodiment of myy invention, the numeral La. designates a generally rectangular housing or casing, preferably made of' cast aluminum, or the like, to provide a light construction. The casing lll. i's open at one side IFIA toY provide ay main rectangular chamber or recess IZ, and the opposite side I3 of the casing is provided near and above its vertical center with an outwardly projecting' tubular boss I4, having a -bore t5. An annular recess I6. is provided in the inner face'of' side I3@ and surround- Vingl the bore I5. and this recess I6 receives a ball Journaled within the ball` The shaft I8 includes a screw threaded extension 2| extending into and substantially across. the. main chamber I2, Figure. 2.. The shaft.y [.8 has an annular groove 22,. receiving the inner end' of. a` set screw 23, carried by the boss.. I4f,. and. this. arrangement prevents endl play or axial. move.- ment of the shaft. I 8.

Mounted upon the. shaft. extension. 2 I. for rotation with it is a circular eccentric element. or cam 2f!V having an. eccentrically. located. smooth opening 25 to slidably receive. theshaft. extension ZI. Arranged upon opposite sides of the: eccentric 24 are:Y large. flat circular clamping. plates.. or. discs '26., having their inner opposed at faces. engaging. the` opposite a-t sides. of the eccentric 24., Figure 4.. The discs 26- have central. smooth. openings 2.1 to'slid-ably' receive the shaft extension. 2l. The. opposite flat sides: of. the eccentric. 2.111 and the opposed'. flat-faces of the discs 26, which. contact the eccentric, are perpendicula1` tothe longitudinal axis.. of the. shaft. I8., Nuts 2% are mountedI upon the shaft extension 2|-, as:v shown, andthesevnuts engage the outer facesof. the discs 26, andv when tightened' force the. discs intotightl clamping engagement with the eccentric. 24,. so. that the eccentrica will rotate with the. shaft.. L81.. Rota-tably mounted upon the eccentric. 24.. and. arranged between. the clamping discs4 26 and spaced from these discs is an eccentricA strap 25;. preferably provided: with a bearing or bushing 30. of bronze or similar material, and pressedtightly into the strap- 29; The bushing 43l) is wider than the eccentric strap 29, Figure 4, but narrower than. the eccentric 214, asshown, so that. the clamping discs 26 engage only the opposite sides of the eccentric. The eccentric strap 29 has. an' integral depending tapered extension or platef3.-I extending laterally of the shaft It. and near the bottom end 32. of the casing Ill. The bottom end 32v is tapered vas at 33%, and provided with a ver-I tical bore 34 having its-v vertical axis; at rightangles toV the axis of theV shaft I8- and intersect-- ing the same. The bore 34 is' enlarged and screw threaded in itslower portion 35; for receiving the. upper screw threaded end of a lstraight cylindri cal guide tube 3'6, secured within the. screw threaded portion 35: by a nut 3J. Az cylindrical rodv or plungelm 38 isslidablymounted within the. cylindrical bore of tube 36 for reciprocaticn and .has itsl upper end bifurc'ated for forming apertured knuckles 39 which receive the lower end of the flat plate 311 between them, and. are pivotally connected to the. plate 3.-I by av pin: 4.0..,

The guide tube 36V extends for a substantial-l distance below' the bottom end of the casing., as

shown, and is internally screw threaded near its bottom end, for receiving a screw threaded plug or needle guide 4l, having a central vertical bore 42, to receive and guide a conventional hollow tufting needle 43 as the same reciprocates ver-- tically with the plunger 38. The needle guide 4! is secured within the tube 36 by a nut 44, mounted upon the lower end of the needle guide and abutting the lower end of the tube 36, as shown. The lower end of the plunger 38 is provided with a central recess or socket 45, receiving the upper end of the needle, and the needle is secured within the socket 45 by a set screw 46, carried by the plunger. The tube 36 has a long vertical slot 4'? adjacent to the thread receiving side of the tubular needle, and this slot 41 permits the passage of the thread or yarn 48 to the needle. Suitable thread guides or rings 49 are provided at one side of the casing l0, as shown, so that the yarn may be guided close to the casing as it is drawn from the spool, and it is not apt to become tangled.

. Mounted upon the top end 50 of the casingr l0 is a handle 5| which may be arranged horizontally, as shown, and extending laterally of the casing at right angles to the axis of the shaft I8. A Hat cover plate 52 is provided for the open side of the casing, and is secured to the casing by screws 53.

In Figure 5, I have shown additional eccentrics 24', 24a, 24h and 24o. These eccentrics are identical with eccentric 24, except that the locations of their eccentric openings 25 are different in each case. This arrangement produces a different travel or throw for the eccentric strap 36 for each eccentric. A different length of stroke of the needle 43 results from the use of each of the eccentrics, and the stroke may therefore be predetermined and varied, as desired.

From the foregoing, the operation of the machine will be clear. The flexible shaft 20 drives the shaft I 8 which in turn drives the eccentric 24, The eccentric rotates Within the bushing 3! of the eccentric strap 29, causing the reciprocation of the plunger 38 within tube 35. Each time the plunger 38 reciprocates, the needle is punched through the cloth or work W upon which the machine is being used to make a design. A loop of the yarn is pushed through the work and upon the return stroke of the plunger the needle withdraws from the work W, leaving a tuft 'I' of yarn in its place. As the machine is moved along the work, a series of tufts is left by the operation of the needle, The lower end cf the needle guide 4l is preferably rounded as at 54 to facilitate moving the machine over the work.

The length of stroke of the needle 43 is predetermined and varied according to which of the eccentrics is employed. Although I have shown five eccentrics to produce five variations in the length of stroke of the needle, it is to be understood that any number of eccentrics may be employed having their eccentric openings located at any desired point.

In changing the eccentric 24, the outer nut is unscrewed from the shaft extension 2l, and the machine may be held with its open side down. Since outer disc 26 has no Screw threaded engagement with the shaft extension 2l, it may be readily removed from the shaft extension, or may droptherefrom. rlhe eccentric also has no screw threaded engagement with the shaft extension 2|, and will drop out of the bushing 36, or may be readily removed therefrom, the bushing 323 remaining within the eccentric strap 29. Another eccentric having a different throw is placed upon the shaft extension 2|, and passed into the bushing 3Q. The outer disc 26 is placed upon the shaft extension 2 l, and the outer nut 28 mounted upon the shaft extension. This nut 28 is tightened to rigidly clamp the eccentric between the discs 26, and these discs are rigidly clamped against the adjacent nuts. It is thusseen that the eccentric is rigidly secured to the shaft extension 2 i, for rotation therewith, and may quickly and conveniently be separated therefrom, as explained.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parte may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim: l. A tufting machine, comprising a portable support, shaft carried by the support, an eccentric having an opening removably receiving the shaft 5o that the eccentric may be removed from the by an axial movement of the eccentric, said opening having a substantially close fit upon the shaft and concentric with the shaft so that the eccentric cannot be shifted pcrceptibly transversely of the shaft, said eccentric having a periphery which is free from a groove,

.ig elements carried by the shaft and arupon. opposite sides of the eccentric to engage therewith, one clamping element being removable from the shaft, means carried by the shaft to bring the clamping elements into clamping engagement with the eccentric and permit of removal of one clamping element, a guide ca 1ied by the support, a plunger mounted to reciprocate within the guide, an eccentric strap having a connecting part secured to the plunger, said eccentric strap having an opening to receive the periphery of the eccentric, the eccentric being removable from the opening of the eccentric hy an axial movement of the eccentricl while the strap remains secured to the plunger, and tufting means including a needle secured to the plunger.

2. A tufting machine, comprising a, portable support, a shaft carried by the support and having screw ,dreaded portion, a clamping element mounted upon the shaft, an eccentric having an opening removably receiving the shaft and free from screwthreaded engagement with the shaft and arranged upon'one side of the ond clamping element to effect a relative axial movement between the clamping elements, guide means carried by the support, a plunger to reciprocate within the guide means, an eccentric strap having a connecting part secured to the plunger and being arranged between the clamping elements, said connecting strap having anopening to receive the periphery of the eccentric,

the eccentric being removable from the opening.

of the eccentric strap by an axial movement of the eccentric while the strap remains secured to the plunger, and tufting means including a needle secured to the plunger.

3. A tufting machine, comprising a portable support, a shaft carried by the support, a clamping disc mounted upon the shaft, an eccentric having an opening removably receiving the shaft so that the eccentric may be removed from the shaft by an axial movement of the eccentric, said opening having a substantially close fit upon the shaft and concentric with the shaft so that the eccentric cannot be shifted perceptibly transversely of the shaft, said eccentric having a periphery which is free from a groove, the eccentric having the clamping disc disposed upon one side thereof, a second clamping disc having an opening to removably receive the shaft and disposed upon the opposite side of the eccentric, means carried by the shaft to effect a relative axial movement between the clamping discs to rigidly secure them to the eccentric, guide means carried by the support, a plunger to reciprocate within the guide means, an eccentric strap having a connecting part secured to the plunger, said eccentric strap being arranged between the clamping discs and having an opening to receive the periphery of the eccentric, the eccentric being removable from the opening of the eccentric strap by an axial movement of the eccentric while the strap remains secured to the plunger, the clamping discs projecting radially beyond the eccentric and the eccentric strap being narrower than the eccentric, and tufting means including a needle secured to the plunger.

4. A tufting machine, comprising a casing having an opening in one side, a transverse shaft mounted upon the casing and having its free end arranged adjacent to the opening, a clamping element mounted upon the shaft Within the casing remote from the free end of the shaft, an

RJ eccentric having an opening removably receiving the shaft so that the eccentric may be removed from the shaft and through the opening in the casing by an axial movement of the eccentric, said opening having a substantially close nt upon the shaft and concentric with the shaft so that the eccentric cannot be shifted perceptibly transversely of the shaft, the eccentric having the clamping element engaging its side remote from the free end of the shaft, said eccentric having a periphery which is free from a groove, a second clamping element to engage with the opposite side of the eccentric and having an opening to removably receive the shaft, a nut having screw threaded engagement with the free end of the shaft to bear against the second clamping element, a guide tube secured to the casing, a plunger to reciprocate within the guide tube, an eccentric strap having a connecting part secured to the plunger, said eccentric strap having an opening to receive the periphery of the eccentric, the eccentric being removable from the opening of the eccentric strap by an axial movement of the eccentric while the strap remains secured to the plunger, a needle guide carried by the guide tube, and a needle secured to the plunger.

EDWARD KING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the Afile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 46,278 Stone Feb. 7, 1865 142,898 Butterfield Sept. 16, 1873 242,100 Barnes May 31, 1881 662,004 Lawrence Nov. 20, 1900 1,183,774 Schmitz May 16, 1916 1,892,592 Westcott Dec. 27, 1932 

